There are lots of things Curtis Chin, co-founder of the Asian American Writers' Workshop, learned at his family's Chinese restaurant: how to be curious, how to be kind, how to create community. His new memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, recalls Chin's upbringing as a gay Chinese-American boy in 1980s Detroit, and how the family business served as the ultimate safe space – not just for him, but for everyone in the city. He tells NPR's Ailsa Chang about the diverse clientele that frequented the restaurant, and how it continues to shape his worldview today.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy